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NY shop remodels as Specialized Elite store

LANCASTER, NY (BRAIN) — Tom’s Pro Bike Shop recently reopened as a Specialized Elite Shop in an expanded space four times the size of its previous store.

In its current stand-alone building since 1997, Tom’s Pro Bike Shop had a central location but was limited by space. Owner Tom Lonzi turned to Specialized Retail Services to help him design a new store around his existing building.

Despite construction dust and no parking during the six-month build-out, his sales are up 10 percent this year. He attributed that sales increase to the support he receives from Specialized.

“Once we brought the Specialized brand in, our numbers started soaring. We were selling a lot more bikes, a lot more accessories, and Specialized has been a great partner to deal with,” said Lonzi.

Building the new structure around the old concrete block building allowed Tom’s Pro Bike Shop to retain parts of the old space and foster a sense of history and continuity. The basic shell of the old building is still in place, with the new, modern building surrounding it. The mezzanine overlooking the main sales floor was built directly on top of the old building, which has one wall opened up to the new sales area. The original service space is largely intact, though renovated, and a side room used for fittings and power training sessions now also includes a customer lounge.

Lonzi said community response to the new store has been very positive.

“My vision of this is that I want this to be a destination, where people want to come, and not only do they want to come, they want to stay,” he said.

Nichole Perrin, retail services director for Specialized USA, said: “With 20-foot ceilings, an atrium design, and a huge expanse of windows, this new Specialized Elite Shop is a fitting showroom for Tom’s streamlined assortment of bikes and equipment.”